Rothschild family European banking dynasty. It was founded by Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812), who started out in a Frankfurt banking house. The family name derived from the red shield (rote Schild) on the house in the Jewish ghetto where Mayer’s ancestors lived. The financial transactions of the Napoleonic Wars of 1792-1815 were the foundation of the Rothschild fortune. Mayer and his oldest son, Amschel (1773-1855), supervised the growing business from Frankfurt, while his other sons established offices elsewhere: Nathan (1777-1836) established a branch in London in 1804, James (or Jakob, 1792-1868) settled in Paris in 1811, and Salomon (1774-1855) and Karl (1788-1855) opened offices in Vienna and Naples, respectively, in the 1820s. The Rothschild business later focused on government securities and industrial companies, includ¬ ing railway, coal, ironworking, oil, and metallurgical investments. Their powerful position was eventually threatened by the new commercial banks, and by the late 19th century the Rothschild group was no longer the first banking consortium. The Rothschilds received many honours: Mayer’s five sons were made barons of the Austrian Empire, a Rothschild was the first Jew to enter the British Parliament, and another was the first to be elevated to the British peerage. Members of the British and French families—the only ones still engaged in banking after the seizure of the Austrian house by the Nazis—distinguished themselves as scientists and philanthropists. Baron Philippe de Rothschild (1902-88) became a pre¬ mier winemaker of the vineyard Mouton-Rothschild.
rotifer Vro-to-forV Any of about 2,000 species of microscopic, multicel¬ lular, water-dwelling invertebrates constituting the class Rotifera, or Rotaria (phylum Aschelminthes; see worm). Currents created by the roti¬ fer’s corona (moving cilia arranged in a circle at the head) sweep bacte- _ ria, protozoans, and detritus into the
mouth. Rotifers also eat larger items ■■ (other rotifers, crustaceans, algae).
!■ The muscular pharynx contains hard
jaws. Body shape varies greatly wm among species. Rotifers are common
U in freshwater on all continents, but
some live in saltwater. The species vary widely in mode of living: they may be free-living or parasitic, solitary or colonial, and free-swimming, crawling, or sedentary.
Rotterdam City (pop., 2001 est.: 593,000) and seaport, western Neth¬ erlands. It is situated on both sides of the Nieuwe Maas River (a distribu¬ tary of the Rhine), near the North Sea. Founded in the 13th century, it developed into a major port and commercial city. From 1795 to 1813 it was occupied by the French. Heavily damaged by the Germans during World War II, it was extensively rebuilt on a new plan. One of the world’s busiest cargo-handling ports, it is a major transshipment port for inland Europe, with tens of thousands of Rhine River barges using its facilities. The second largest city in The Netherlands, it has several large oil refin¬ eries and produces chemicals, paper, and clothing. It is also a cultural and educational centre.
Rottluff, Karl Schmidt- See Karl Schmidt-Rohluff
Rottweiler Vrat-.wl-br, 'rot-,vI-br\ Breed of dog descended from a breed of cattle dog left by the Roman legions in Rottweil, Germany. From
the Middle Ages to c. 1900, it accom¬ panied butchers on buying expedi¬ tions, carrying money in a neck pouch. It has also served as a guard dog, drover’s dog, draft dog, and police dog. Stocky and muscular, it stands 22-27 in. (56-69 cm) and weighs 90-110 lbs (41-50 kg). It has a short, black coat, with tan markings on the head, chest, and legs.
rotunda In Classical and Neoclas¬ sical architecture, a building or room that is circular in plan and covered with a dome. The Pantheon is a Classical Roman rotunda. The Villa Rotonda at Vicenza, designed by Andrea Palladio, is an Italian Renais¬ sance example. The central hall of the U.S. Capitol is an example of the rotunda in its familiar role as part of a monumental public building.
Rouault \ru-'6\, Georges (-Henri) (b. May 27, 1871, Paris, Fr.—d. Feb. 13, 1958, Paris) French painter. His apprenticeship in a glazier’s shop restoring medieval stained glass (1885—90) influenced his mature style as a painter. After an early academic period, his style evolved toward Fau- vism before he established a highly personal form of Expressionism. An ardent Roman Catholic, he painted subjects apparently fallen from grace—prostitutes, tragic clowns, and pitiless judges. After 1914 his sub¬ ject matter became more specifically religious, with greater emphasis on redemption, and he shifted from watercolour to oil. His layers of paint became thick and rich, his forms simplified, and his colours and black lines reminiscent of stained glass. In the 1930s he produced a splendid series on Christ’s Passion, while reworking many earlier paintings. His series of clowns in the 1940s are virtual self-portraits. He also produced many engravings as well as ceramics, tapestry designs, and stained glass.
Rouen \ru-'a n \ City (pop., 1999: city, 106,592; metro, area, 389,862), northwestern France. Situated on the Seine River, Rouen became important in the 3rd century ad after the arrival of Christianity with St. Mellon. Sacked by the Normans in 876, it became the medieval capital of Nor¬ mandy. It came under English rule in 1066 and again in 1419. Joan of Arc was imprisoned and executed there in 1431. Rouen was recaptured by the French in 1449. Historic buildings include the 14th-century abbey of Saint Ouen and the great Gothic cathedral, whose oldest parts date to the 11 th century. The city was the birthplace of Pierre Corneille and Gustave Flaubert.
Rough Rider Member of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry regiment in the Spanish-American War. The group, organized and led by Theodore Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, included cowboys, miners, policemen, and college athletes. The most famous of its exploits in the fighting in Cuba was an uphill charge in the Battle of Santiago (July 1, 1898) in which the group helped capture Kettle Hill and then charged across a valley to assist in the seizure of San Juan Ridge and its high point, San Juan Hill. Wide coverage of the regiment in the U.S. press helped establish Roosevelt’s reputation.
roulette \ru-'let\ Gambling game. After a small ball is released in the opposite direction of a revolving wheel, players make bets concerning which red or black numbered compartment the ball will enter as it comes to rest. Bets are placed on a table marked to correspond with the com¬ partments of the wheel. Roulette (French: “small wheel”) emerged in the late 18th century in the casinos of Europe. All bets are placed against the “house,” or casino bank. Bets may be made until the ball slows down and is about to drop from its track into a compartment. Bets may be on a single number or various combinations of numbers that pay off at lesser odds if the winner is among them. Betting that red or black or that an odd or even number will come up are other options.
roundworm See nematode
Rousseau \rii-'so\ / Henri known as Le Douanier Rousseau (b.